Greetings Northwest Region:
Want to learn what the Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center can do for you or your health care organization? Check out this animated summary about what the NRTRC does to promote the use of telehealth — all in less than two minutes.
On March 30, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released this short guidance on requirements and billing for mental health visits by audio and video communications. This resource helps RHCs and FQHCs ensure reimbursement for the new opportunities (as of Jan 2022) to enhance access to mental health services. This is a must-have resource for RHCs and FQHCs!
The Center for Connected Health Policy published a 32-page guide to help those delivering telehealth services navigate the Medicare billing process. The guide explains the billing codes necessary for evaluation and management, remote patient monitoring, remote therapeutic monitoring and e-consultation.
Renee Coles, Outreach Specialist from the FCC and Trudy Bearden, a clinician and champion of telehealth, discuss the federally provided Affordability Connectivity Program. Learn how the program works and how to help your clients take advantage of the credit toward obtaining reliable broadband service.

This article in the National Library of Medicine discusses the concerns that direct-to-patient telemedicine can result in fragmentation of care. The conclusions are that virtual urgent care “is not negatively associated with receipt of preventive services, as long as a primary care relationship is established” and “may provide a useful method of encouraging receipt of preventive services, especially for younger patients.”
Upcoming Events & Webinars

 
  • The National Virtual EMS & Care Conference 2022: Invited attendees include rural ambulance services, rural EMS directors, medical directors and officers, rural health care providers, ambulatory agencies and staff, state EMS officials, state rural health officials, hospital administrators, federal agency officials, and State Offices of Rural Health. April 19-21
 
 
 
  
  • HRSA Listening Session for Tribal Leaders: Tribal leaders are invited to discuss what types of medical fellowships would benefit tribal health systems. Input is essential to developing funding initiatives. April 21, noon Mountain Time
 
  • ATA 2022: The American Telemedicine Association annual conference will explore how to establish telehealth as a standard means to deliver medical care. The conference will showcase a mix of practical applications of telehealth – from preventative and primary care to behavioral health and specialty care — and hands-on workshops. May 1-3, in Boston, Mass.   
 
  • NRHA Health Equity Conference: The National Rural Health Association is sponsoring Health Equity Conference on May 10 in Albuquerque, N.M. This conference leads into NRHA's Rural Health Conference, May 10–13, also in Albuquerque.    

Search for a telehealth provider in your state or elsewhere in the Northwest Region by using the NRTRC's Telehealth Finder tool. You can find a provider by location, or search by the type of specialty care service you are seeking.
Telehealth Resources



  • The Telehealth Resource Centers have gathered resources specific to Federally Qualified Health Centers. Examples include a Critical Access Hospital Telehealth Guide and a webinar on Telehealth Essentials for FQHCs.

  • Emergency Declarations: Oregon is the only state in the Northwest Region still under an emergency declaration because of the COVID pandemic.


  • Research: current research opportunities, research articles and survey results.
Grant Funding Opportunities

  • Refer to the funding page on the NRTRC website for updated grant opportunities.
Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center
“This publication was made possible by grant number UiUTH42531-01 from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, Health Resources and Services Administration, DHHS”